Gentrification in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside

Downtown East Side

Vancouver, British Columbia’s Downtown Eastside (DTES) is a historic neighbourhood infamously known for its high rates of poverty, substance abuse, mental illness, disease, crime and prostitution. The city of Vancouver’s origins start with the DTES, as it was the centre of commerce and trade at the turn of the 20th century. As time passed, theatres, transit hubs, and stores moved west from the DTES to Granville and Robson street and with the decline in tourism in the area, hotels were converted into low income housing, setting the stage for the social issues facing the neighbourhood in present time.

Demographics of the DTES

The populace that is most likely to have a negative effect from the gentrification of the Downtown Eastside are the thousands of low-income single room occupancy (SRO) hotel residents, and the hundreds of homeless. A survey of SRO residents in the DTES reported that 95.2% had at least one form of substance dependence, 74.4% were diagnosed with a mental illness, and 47.4% suffered from psychosis. The homeless population is a cacophony of multiple at-risk groups such as aboriginals, who comprise 32% of the homeless. Furthermore, 81% of homeless are in poor health, having at least one condition. Like those living in SRO, mental illness and addiction run rampant for the homeless. 58% of homeless people have at least one addiction and 42% have at least one mental illness. Although it is clear that there is a need for the City of Vancouver to handle the self-proclaimed ‘crisis’ affecting the population of the DTES, instead Vancouver is inviting profitable investment into the area. As well, by inviting more upscale businesses into the area, it makes affordable goods and services inaccessible to the impoverished and at-risk population. The Downtown Eastside, as defined by the City of Vancouver for planning and administrative purposes, can be further divided into eight sub areas, as listed in the image below.

Map of gentrified restaurants in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside 2003-2012

Gentrification in the Downtown Eastside

Gentrification is defined as the buying and renovation of houses and stores in deteriorated urban neighbourhoods by upper or middle income families or individuals, thus improving property values but often displacing low-income families and small businesses. Vancouver is accustomed to gentrification, with neighbourhoods such as Yaletown and the West End seeing a meteoric rise in property value in the last few decades. However, with the astronomically high number of mentally ill, homeless and addicts in the DTES, gentrification of the neighbourhood would displace the massive at-risk populace through high rents, expensive new condominiums and businesses.

Housing Affordability

In 2015, the average cost for rent in the DTES for an SRO hotel was $517 a month, while the fixed welfare shelter rate is a mere $375 a month. This upward shift in prices is forcing more and more DTES residents out of shelter and onto the streets.

Businesses

From 2002 to 2012, over 66% of the restaurants, bars, pubs, bakeries, and cafes in the DTES have been opened or reopened. This influx of businesses into the area represents a shift into a more commercialized setting, prime for middle to upper class residents with a higher income, and not to the current impoverished constituency living in the neighbourhood.

Gastown

In the specific sub-area named after famed saloon-keeper “Gassy” Jack Deighton, one can find the most restaurants, pubs, and nightclubs as it is the most gentrified area of the greater DTES. Gastown has a higher than average revitalization of businesses with 79% of them being opened in the last decade. Furthermore, Gastown is home to many award winning and renowned restaurants such as Meat and Bread attracting a lunch crowd of upper class office workers in the neighbouring downtown core, who are polar opposites to the residents of the DTES. The nightlife of Gastown also draws a high class crowd, where university aged students as well as urban professionals go to celebrate in the multiple nightclubs in the area such as The Alexander, Portside Pub, The Pint, and others.

Oppenheimer

This area is best known for being the heart of the DTES, specifically the intersection of Hastings and Main street where the open-air drug market draws the many addicts of the neighbourhood. Conversely, Oppenheimer is also home to famous and historic businesses such as the Save-on-Meats restaurant and its accompanying neon sign. After being open from 1957 to 2009, it reopened in 2011 as a retro diner and was featured on the Food Network television series Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.

Poverty Tourism

Poverty tourism refers to cases in which financially privileged tourists visit impoverished communities for the purpose of witnessing poverty firsthand. As the DTES is unfortunately known as “the poorest postal code in Canada,” along with the City of Vancouver’s has attracted poverty tourism into the already problematic neighbourhood. Reviews on Yelp! And Urbanspoon show how customers choose to eat and drink at locations based on the desire for an “authentic” experience of being in a run down part of Vancouver. A review of the Ovaltine Cafe on Yelp! stated, “Good service, good food, great sleazy and desperate atmosphere, and absolutely outstanding eavesdropping.” A reviewer on the website Zomato said, ““Food is cheap and not the highlight of this joint—you are here for the adventure.”